Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Tamale Tradition Continues!

This is something I had meant to blog about awhile back.

On December 2007 Dan and I made tamales for the first time with my mama and we enjoyed it so much we decided we would continue this wonderful tradition. :) This year (2008) we made them just a couple of days before Christmas.

Making tamales is not difficult, but is very time consuming, it can take all day and can be very tiring. I am definitely sore by the end of the day.

It starts with pork.This is one of the roasted pork shoulders that Dan made.

It is then chopped up and seasoned with more spices.

It's Dan's job to handle the pork.

It's my job to make the masa...with the help of my mama of course!

Now that the meat has been chopped & seasoned, the masa mixed, and the corn husks soaked...it's time to embarrar (spread the masa on the husks).This is mine and my mama's job. :) This can be very tiring and this is what leaves us so sore at the end of the day.

A glimpse at the mess we can make.

Dan's other jobs are to: fill the corn husks with the meat and special sauce

and to wrap/roll the tamales.

A shot of some of the completed tamales.

Loading them into our pot.

Taking a break to stretch the back, as I watch my hubster hard at work.

Time for a quick photo.

Cutting into a tamale, checking to make sure they are ready.

Some of the cooked tamales before being packed.

Mama S packing the tamales in foil.

Packed tamales ready to go in the freezer or eaten!!

We make the best tamales! :)Last year (2007) we made over 70 dozen over 2 days...this time around we only made a little over 20 dozen, but only did it on one night.

About Christy

I'm a stay-at-home mama. I married my high school sweetheart in April of 2008. I'm a beginner sewer and I love paper crafts. My husband is the cook & baker in the family. We have a little girl, Olive, and 2 "kids" (chihuahua-mixes) that are our world. Life is good!